1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of dog leashes and in particular to leashes which can be attached to a portion of the person's garment or worn by a person so that the person does not have to hold the dog leash in the person's hand while walking the dog.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the concept of a hands free dog leash has been known in the prior art. The following 14 patents are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,486 issued to Brown on Nov. 10, 1992 for “Hands-Free Dog Jogger Apparatus” (hereafter the “Brown patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,045 issued to Reese et al. on Jan. 14, 1992 for “Jogger's Pet Leash” (hereafter the “Reese patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,216 issued to Lippe et al. on Mar. 20, 1973 for “Belt or Collar with Runner Track” (hereafter the “Lippe patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,303 issued to Grassano on Jul. 21, 1987 for “Shock-Absorbent Connector” (hereafter the “Grassano patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. Des. 408,598 issued to Martell on Apr. 20, 1999 for “Utility Belt for Tethering a Dog Leash While Walking and Running” (hereafter the “Martell patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. Des. 407,886 issued to Perrulli on Apr. 6, 1999 for “Waist Mounted Dog Leash” (hereafter the “'886 Perrulli patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,569 issued to Perrulli on Sep. 14, 1999 for “Hands Free Dog Leash” (Hereafter the '569 Perrulli patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,835 B1 issued to Calhoun et al. on Feb. 27, 2001 for “Hands-Free Pete Leash System (hereafter the “Calhoun patent”);
9. U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,698 issued to Klein on Jul. 11, 2000 for “Night Visibility Enhanced Clothing and Dog Leash” (hereafter the “Klein patent”);
10. U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,093 issued to Kisko et al. on Aug. 1, 2000 for “Animal Leash Assembly” (hereafter the “Kisko patent”);
11. U.S. Pat. D454,992 issued to Yantz on Mar. 26, 2002 for “Hands Free Animal Leash” (hereafter the “Yantz patent”);
12. United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2002/0073936 A1 published on Jun. 20, 2002 to Miriam Fields-Babineau for “Comfort Trainer” (hereafter the “Fields-Babineau patent”);
13. U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,815 B1 issued to Spiller on Sep. 17, 2002 for “Adjustable Strap Assembly” (hereafter the “Spiller patent”).
14. U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,921 issued to Bell on Mar. 10, 1998 for “Pet Leash” (hereafter the “Bell patent”).
The Brown patent discloses a hands free dog leash which includes a waist belt with two attachment points for a flexible shock cord 16. The animal lead 3 is attached to cord 16 with a quick release clasp 19 such as a rigid plastic clasp hook 20. Animal lead 3 is adjustable in length but is not specified as shock absorbing.
The Reese patent discloses a belt fastened snugly about a person's middle region with a larger Hula Hoop-like ring 14 suspended from the belt. The dog's lead is attached to ring 14 and can slide half-way around ring 14. Although the belt encircles the runner's waist, the ring is suspended at about hip level so that the leash exerts a force closer to the person's center of mass. The leash terminates in a ball shaped end portion 48 that slides in a slot 44 in the suspended ring. The leash is described as automatically returning to the coiled state shown in FIG. 3.
The Lippe patent discloses a belt with a slidable attachment point. One of the uses envisioned is as a collar for a dog, so that the leash creates less stress on the dog's neck.
The Grassano patent discloses a dog leash that includes a pneumatic cylinder for absorbing sudden forces.
The Martell patent discloses a belt to which a dog leash may be attached. The belt includes a zippered pocket that is for storing the leash.
The Perrulli Design and Utility patents disclose a belt to which a dog leash is attached and which allows the dog leash to slide sideways.
The Calhoun patent discloses a simple belt with a slidably attached leash.
The Klein patent discloses a system for illuminating dog leashes and other articles.
The Kisko patent discloses a dog leash which is attached to the upper portion of a person's arm.
The Yantz patent is a design patent for a simple hands free dog leash.
The Fields-Babineau patent is a dog muzzle.
The Spiller patent discloses an adjustable strap assembly.
The Bell patent discloses a hand leash wherein a pulley is incorporated into the hand leash to enable both hands to move back and forth through the pulley while a person is jogging with a dog.
While the general concept of a hands free dog leash has been disclosed in many of the above referenced patents, there is a significant need for improvements in the hands free dog leashes of the prior art to better facilitate the dog's movement and prevent the person from being pulled off balance by the dog.